C O L U M N S

ISLAMABAD: The UN aid agencies have called for ensuring safety and security to civilians including aid workers engaged in relief activities for displaced persons following military operation in South Waziristan.

‘All those who are involved in military operation in one way or the other should ensure human safety and security to aid organizations to reach out to affected population,’ said Martin Mogwanja, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in a joint press conference along with Kilian Kleinschmidt, Assistant representative UNHCR and Dominique Frankefort, Deputy Country Director WFP here on Thursday.

He said that assistance would continue to the displaced persons whether they were of Malakand Division or South Waziristan and called upon the world community to generously donate to successfully complete the task.

He said more than 46,000 families (about 330,000 people) had now been registered in D.I .Khan and Tank.

Of these, 22,600 (about 165,000 people) had so far been verified, he added.

He said the verification process was ongoing but early indications show that about 17 per cent of people could be ineligible due to multiple registration type issues.

He said a further 11 per cent may not be verified due to ID card issues, and another 2.4 per cent because not from affected areas.

However, he added, for these latter categories people will have the chance to seek redress to ensure people genuinely affected by conflict can be registered.

Replying to a question about possibility of reaching of terrorists in the guise of IDPs at camps, he said there were currently no camps in these two districts.

He said it was the responsibility of the government to ensure security.

However, he said, if the government of Pakistan decided to establish camps, the humanitarian community would assist with tents, site preparation, water and sanitation and other services.

He said the re-screening of IDPs in Katcha Garhi and Jalozai Camps in Peshawar and Nowshera respectively had shown that only about two-thirds of the registered camp population was actually living inside the camp.

The rest, he added, were living elsewhere or had left without notifying the camp authorities.

Dominique, Frankefort Deputy Country Director WFP said there were six registration points five in D.I. Khan and one in Tank that were administered by the Social Welfare Department of NWFP and supported by UNHCR through its local partner.

He said since the Food Cluster started distributing food in D.I. Khan and Tank, around 125,000 IDPs from South Waziristan have been provided with 4,000 tons of food.

He said there were two food distribution hubs in D.I. Khan and one Tank.

He said since 14 October, WFP and its partners have distributed 12,000 MT of food to about 836,000 individuals residing in both camps and with host families.

He said three new hubs were now operational in Swat District, bringing to 32 the total number of humanitarian hubs.

Three hubs in Bajaur Agency were temporarily closed because of security.

With $479 million dollars, the Pakistan Humanitarian Response Plan is currently funded at 70.5 per cent. The total requirement stands at $680 million.

Replying to a question, he said the WFP had not received so far any official investigation report pertaining to attack on its office in the federal capital.

Kilian Kleinschmidt, Assistant Representative, UNHCR said that among the non-food items each affected family would be given a tent and so far, he added, 22,00 food kits containing quilts, blanket and shawl for women of displaced families had been distributed.

He said the Commissionerate of Afghan Refugees reports that as of the end of October, 16,100 families or about 89,000 individuals were still living in 11 camps.

Of these, 11,700 families or 66,000 individuals were from Bajaur Agency, where renewed military operations force people to flee, he added.

He added more than 237,180 families, (around 1.66 million people) of Malakand Division have returned home since 8th September.

This means almost two thirds of the 2.7 million people (382,950 families) that were registered as internally displaced persons, or IDPs, have returned to their homes. —APP